Grover Lee Robbins

Grover Lee Robbins

ROCKY MOUNT - Grover Lee Robbins passed away on May 8, 2018 at the age of 92. Grover was born on February 12, 1926. Grover was always proud that he and Abraham Lincoln shared the same birthday.

Grover was born and raised in the north Nashville community near Pig Basket Creek that he always called home. Grover's dearest Papa and Mama were David Robbins and Rosa Johnson Robbins. He was the youngest of 7 children and the last surviving member of his brothers and sisters. He loved all his nieces and nephews, but NC artist, Patsy Alsup Montgomery, was the apple of her "Lee Lee's" eye.

Grover's favorite song was "The Tennessee Waltz".

The love of Grover's life was his wife, Ruth Dickens. When Grover first saw Ruth at the roller skating rink, he said she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He could not control his skates as they skated him right over to her. Grover was 6 years older than Ruth. She was 18 and he was 24 years old when they were married on May 29, 1950. They had me, Jane Kimberly Robbins, on March 18, 1954. I was their only child. My mama and daddy were married for 63 years until our darling Ruthie passed on October 30, 2013.

Grover was a worldly man. Grover had been in the U.S. Army where he was an expert infantry rifleman, dispatcher driver, convoy leader, and mechanic. Grover was a master engineer that could always fix any machine. I always said, "If my daddy had been on the Titanic, it would have never sunk." Grover was a perfectionist in any endeavor he tackled. After his service in the U.S. Army, Grover was the head of maintenance supervision and inventor of many mechanisms at the old Barcalounger plant. Grover loved working at Barcalounger, and saved the plant money and time. After his retirement, he spent many happy hours in his shop fixing Singer sewing machines. He charged very little and many times nothing because that is the way he was. Grover was extremely generous and giving. Grover was a southern gentleman to the very highest degree and a very handsome, good looking man. He always stepped up to help someone without question.

Ruth and Kim always loved these stories about Grover Lee. When he was 4 years old, he tied a block of wood to his shoe so he could reach the gas pedal to drive his family's model T car. Grover always said that he had been smoking since he was "knee high to a duck." He started smoking at 5 years old. When Grover was in the second grade, he had long beautiful blond curls that had never been cut. His school teacher grabbed his blond curls and snatched him out of his school desk. Grover reared back and punched her so hard that she went sprawling out in the classroom floor and was out cold. Later on in life when Ruth worked in the medical lab, that same teacher from Nashville would come in. Ruth said she always had a fear of that lady asking if she was any kin to Grover Lee Robbins.

Grover loved to fly airplanes from the old Rocky Mount airport. Ruth lived in the Salem community on her family's farm. Grover would fly from Rocky Mount airport to Salem to court Ruth. On the way over to Red Oak, Grover would buzz over a cotton field topping it off just a touch until a farmer chased him and his airplane with a shotgun. Then as Grover would pilot on to Salem, he would shout over to Ruth's brother, "Hey Buck! Move those cows. I'm coming in for a landing." In any emergency, my daddy was always on the double. Once when Grover and Ruth flew to Florida with Grover's flight instructor acting as their chaperone something happened to the plane, and Grover saved their lives. Grover's flight instructor said that he had never seen anything like it, and Grover was a flying ace pilot.

Ruth, Grover, and Kim loved horses. One day when I was in the sixth grade, I came home from school to find the most glorious horse in my pasture. Myself, Mama, and Daddy spent many wonderful times together going to horse shows and attending the Rocky Mount Saddle Club meetings and events.

Grover had many good times fishing and boating. Grover was the president of the original Boat Club on the Tar river back in the 1960's. He navigated his boat from the Tar river in Rocky Mount, NC all the way to the Atlantic Ocean just because he could. Grover was a Shriner and spent many happy hours at the Shrine club playing cards.

Anyone that knew Grover knew that he loved his John Deere tractor and loved to keep his yard in pristine condition. Grover loved living on the farm with both our families together in Edgecombe county. Many happy times and holidays were spent together with Grover, Ruth, Buck, Peggie, Charles, Debbie, Jamie, Mike, and the grandchildren. A good time was definitely had by all.

Grover is survived by his daughter, Jane Kimberly Robbins Journigan, and her husband, William Neil Journigan, of the Aventon community; his granddaughter, Dr. Velvet Blair Journigan Avery, and her husband, Alex Avery, of Huntington, West Virginia; his grandson, Sterling Neil Journigan, and his fiance;, Giselle Rodriguez, of Wrightsville Beach, NC.

Our family wishes to express our sincere appreciate to our nephew, Robert Michalski, for his devotion and care to his mentor, Uncle Grover. With dignity and respect, Robert spent precious time with his Uncle Grover for the last 7 months of Grover's life. Robert and Grover enjoyed being on the farm, fishing, grilling, and eating high on the hog. Robert's compassion for his uncle allowed Grover to remain at home till the end. Thank you, Robert.

Grover's family will hold a private memorial at a later date.

Services are provided by DAVIS-LITTLE FUNERALS.

As published in the Rocky Mount Telegram